[gardeners] Re:Heat wave
bsk (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Tue, 5 Sep 2000 16:08:30 -0500
----- Original Message -----
From: "penny x stamm" <pennyx1@Juno.com>
> Ranchmama, I am fascinated by your description of normal summer Oklahoma weather --
don't the cattle mind the 107* sun? Or do they seek the shade, and drink lots of
water...?
>
> If you wanted to, could you use public or well water to keep your veggies alive..?
Is water available..? Could >you have a wooden lathe over a kitchen garden, for
instance, to shade it from the intense sun..? It sounds as >if ALL fruits and
vegetables must be imported into Oklahoma, every summer, from other states.
>
Penny As far as I know it is normal for around central Oklahoma! You bet the cattle
don't like the high temps and direct sunlight! Our cows graze some in the morning
wonder up and lay under trees by the ponds most of the day. Usually if you see them
grazing it is in the shade of a large tree where more than likely it's also the only
thing that resembles green grass also. In the afternoon when the sun goes down enough
so the rays are not directly on them they start grazing again and heading out away
from the ponds. They do of course drink lots of water ... that is if the ponds don't
go dry. The water level goes down a whole lot but with just a month without rain and
this heat we can make it ok.
Well water is all that is available out in the country where I am. We have 2
wells. One by the house we live in which is a modern home and with about a 200 foot
deep well and one old hand dug well that might be about 60 foot deep down at the 'old
house' that has been here for almost 100 years give or take a decade. I don't have a
area closely suitable for gardening so the garden that I had was very much like those
crops planted in the fields. You get what water that mother nature gives you! LOL I
griped and complained about not having the garden nearby with water but really after
a certain point here in Oklahoma it is usually so hot many garden plants just can't
cope with the heat. Like right now I can go out and water my plants all I can
possibly stand to of the job and it only just barely keeps anything in the full sun
alive. The direct sun just cooks anything plant or person. We don't have hardly any
clouds compared to some places in the summer heating period so we do get it full
blast! On man, beast or vegetation the sun will cook us all.
I made a mistake out on a open tractor brush hogging this May and didn't have
any long sleeves on. I had a hat and 3/4 sleeves but the lower part of my left arm
that was steering got burned so bad that the skin felt bruised down deep for a long
long time afterwards. Sunshine in the western part of the US is nothing to play with.
As far as shading a garden goes I have seen a few people put sheets over their
tomato plants to try and keep them from getting so scalded but really a lot still
goes back to after a certain point I don't no maybe 95*F, I'm just guessing, it is
way to hot for many plants to produce for a prolonged period. Then even though they
may manage the 95*F give it a few days or weeks and we are up to the 100*F plus stage
and everything is cooked just by the air like a oven! It's a hard thing to win around
here.
No we don't have to import all the produce. Remember when NY is still freezing
some folks swear by having the potatoes in the ground by Valentines day Feb. 14th
around here.This is what the Oklahoma extension says are the general planting times
for Oklahoma. See we are planting when you are still huddling under cover I bet! LOL
We do have a long growing season but we just don't always have the best of conditions
after a certain time period with lack of rain, full sun, and extreme heat for many
plants.
I think we are in the mid 90*'s today. We feel like a cold snap came in! LOL
http://agweb.okstate.edu/pearl/hort/vegetables/f6004.htm
Garden Planning Guide
Cool Season
Asparagus Fall or Spring 10-20
Beet March 10-20
Broccoli March 10
Cabbage Feb. 15 to March 10
Carrot Feb. 15 to March 10
Cauliflower Feb. 15 to March 10
Chard, Swiss Feb. 15 to March 10
Kohlrabi Feb. 15 to March 10
Lettuce, Head Feb. 15 to March 10
Lettuce, Leaf Feb. 15 to March 10
Onion Feb. 15 to March 10
Peas, Green Feb. 15 to March 10
Potato, Irish Feb. 15 to March 10
Radish March 1 to April 15 15
Rhubarb Fall or Spring
Spinach Feb. 15 to March 10
Turnip Feb. 15 to March 10
Warm Season
Bean, Lima April 15-30
Beans, Green or Wax April 10-30
Beans, Pole April 10-30
Cantaloupe May 1-20 20
Cucumber April 10-30 or later
Eggplant April 10-30
Okra April 10-30 or later
Pepper April 10-30 or later
Pumpkin April 10-30 or later
Southern Pea May 1- June 10
Squash, Summer April 10-30 or later
Squash, Winter May 15-June 15
Sweet Corn Mar. 15-April 15
Sweet Potato May 1- June 10
Tomato April 10-30
Watermelon May 1-20
Okie zone 7a
aka " Ranchmama "